


Unexpected Potential

by Jessy Ellis (heyjessypants), scholarlydragon



Series: Beginnings of Eternity [3]
Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Cute, Dating, F/M, Logistics, Lunch, New Relationship, planning, unexpected developments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:13:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21553678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjessypants/pseuds/Jessy%20Ellis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/scholarlydragon/pseuds/scholarlydragon
Summary: One unexpected incident begets another and another. Hades and Persephone tackle the repercussions of recent developments**Do not read if you are not caught up with "Beginnings of Eternity"!**
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Series: Beginnings of Eternity [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547077
Comments: 58
Kudos: 195





	1. Trying to Make Sense of Things

Hades blinked awake and turned his head to squint at the clock. Nine o'clock. Tiredness from their midnight exertions still dragged at him.  _ I wonder how worn out Persephone will be. She might not be up for brunch. _ He turned his attention to the goddess curled next to him in the bed and debated simply letting her sleep.  _ Better to try and wake her. Wouldn't want her to be annoyed at me for making assumptions. We can always go back to sleep if she's too wiped out. _ He smiled, remembering how stunning she'd been as she’d glowed golden.  _ Just perfection _ .

He stroked her shoulder gently. "Sweetness. Wake up."

Persephone stirred with a muffled, "What?" She blinked owlishly, stretching with a groan.

Hades pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's 9. If you still wanted to go to brunch this morning, we should get up."

She groaned louder. "Oh, Fates," she sighed. "I'm so tired." She snuggled into him, hiking the blankets up over her shoulder again. "We can wait a little bit, can't we?"

"Of course," he murmured. "There's nothing that says we must go today. Or even that we must go to brunch. We could always go for lunch this afternoon."

"Oh, good," she mumbled, already slipping back into sleep.

Hades chuckled and settled back into the bed, holding her closely. Warm happiness filled him, all centered around the goddess in his arms.  _ I think I love you, sweetness. I don't know if it's too soon or not, but this feeling of rightness, of pain at the thought of being with anyone else, can't be anything less. Whatever comes, I want to meet it with you beside me. _

_______________________

Persephone woke up about two hours later to find that Hades has been replaced at her side by a large, furry, black mass. She rolled over and wrapped her arm over Cerberus and gave him a kiss on the snout, giggling as he kissed her back with a lick across her face. "Good morning, my good boy," she crooned, yawning. "Where is your daddy?"

Cerberus  _ whuff _ ed and looked out the ajar door of the bedroom. The faint sound of jazz could be heard from down the hall.

"Clever boy," she smiled, kissing him all over his sweet, furry face. She climbed out of bed and stretched, muscles complaining and limbs feeling heavy. "Going into a primal god form is a lot of work, Cerbie." She found her bag next to the door and rummaged around until she found the set of cozy blue pajamas she'd brought along. She pulled them on, along with a pair of fluffy purple socks, and twisted her hair out of the way with a hair tie, then slipped out of the room to find Hades, with Cerberus at her side.

Hades hummed quietly along with the soft strains of jazz as he worked at his desk. It was not anything terribly pressing, but he had figured it would be best to make use of the time Persephone was sleeping. He'd pulled on his customary black robe and boxers, unable to quite muster the determination to dress completely with Persephone just down the hall. He smiled at the thought of her.  _ My sweetheart, you're a puzzle and I will enjoy very much helping you figure out what all this means. _

Persephone let Cerberus lead her to Hades' office. She peeked in the door to see him busily going through paperwork, his deep voice humming tunefully along with the music. She took a moment just to admire him. Tall and broad, heavily muscled, handsome face relaxed in the humdrum of busywork, she smiled to herself to see him. She felt Cerberus push past her then, shoving the door open and trotting over to his dad to nose at his hand for pets.

At the feeling of the cold nose, Hades smiled and looked down at Cerberus, scritching the top of his head and soft ears. "Hello, there." He looked up to see Persephone in the doorway, grinning broadly. "And hello to you, sweetness." He rose from the desk and made his way over to her. "How did you sleep?" She looked adorably beautiful in her pajamas and he smiled as he kissed her.

"Like a rock," she replied as he pulled away from their kiss. "I'm sorry I slept so late." She looked at the desk. "Are you busy? I can keep myself occupied if you need to work."

"I expected you'd need to sleep. Only reason I even attempted to wake you earlier is because I didn't want to assume about brunch. It's perfectly fine you slept in. I'm not busy." He waved a hand at the desk. "Just some things that needed attention so that the to-do pile doesn't grow too huge. It’s nothing that can’t wait."

She smiled up at him shyly. "That was kind of intense last night." She took his hand in both of hers and squeezed. "I liked it very much. Did you?"

"Sweetheart, I loved it." He gently pulled her into a hug. "Being with you like that, finding your acceptance where I didn't expect, discovering your power with you... Last night was beyond incredible."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest with a sigh. "Thank you for thinking I was beautiful like that." She pulled away and looked at him. "I think I remembered some things that might give us some answers about...that. Is there coffee? I'd like to talk with you about it."

He laughed. "Sweetness, there is  _ always _ coffee. However, I've acquired some teas I thought you might like. Would you prefer that instead?"

Her face lit up. "Oh, that would be lovely." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway. "If you don't mind me clunking around in your kitchen, that is." She grinned up at him as they walked.

"Please feel free to clunk around as much as you please." He squeezed her hand. "You are welcome to clunk in every part of this house."

They entered the kitchen and Persephone dropped his hand to fill the electric kettle. "Where did you stash the tea?" she asked as she settled the pot back on it's base and pushed the switch to start it heating up.

He went to a side cabinet and pulled it open, displaying a few boxes of loose leaf tea and a ball strainer. "I wasn't sure what kind you'd care for, so I got a variety. There's Jasmine green tea, a blood orange and cranberry black tea, and..." he squinted at a box, "a peach and turmeric black tea."

"Ooh, jasmine, please," she said as she pulled a mug down with some difficulty. "I need a stool," she muttered to herself. "So annoying."

"I shall acquire on as soon as possible," he murmured, sifting a portion of tea leaves into the strainer.

She looked up at him, surprised. "Oh, sorry." She blushed. "I didn't know you heard me."

He smiled. "A stool in here goes along with wanting you to be comfortable clunking around. I don't mind."

She grinned at him as she plucked the strainer out of his hand and slipped it into the cup. She poured the boiling water over it and checked the time, then climbed up onto a stool at the breakfast bar. "So. My...other form. Do you think it's actually a primal form?

Hades hummed thoughtfully, leaning back against the counter. "It had all the hallmarks of those forms. Everyone's is slightly different, but there are enough commonalities. It is not out of the question for it to have been something entirely different, but it's hard to argue with how it felt. Your power last night had the same flavor, so to speak, as what I've felt from others."

She tapped the side of her mug thoughtfully, silent and mulling thoughts for long moments before stating abruptly, "I don't think that's the first time I took that form.”

Hades nodded, murmuring, "I was not able to manifest it without the impetus of anger for quite some time and it took effort for anger not to throw me straight into it. Given what I saw last night, I would not be surprised if some of that power had slipped out under a time of duress."

She nodded. "I don't totally remember what happened. I think I blacked out. But after I came back to myself...well, whatever happened, that's when my name went from ‘Maiden’ to ‘Bringer of Death’.” She looked up at him, apprehensive. "My mother won't tell me what I did. But I think it was terrible." Her voice got quieter as she spoke, ending in a whisper.

His heart twisting with her clear pain, Hades slipped onto the stool next to her. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Was that before or after you overheard the nymphs talking about it and asked Demeter?"

"Before," she murmured as she fished the strainer out of her mug. "After our...encounter in those forms it occurred to me that maybe they weren't talking about my mom." She took a sip of tea, closing her eyes in bliss. "It would explain why she got so upset when I asked. Hades," She put her head in her hands. "What did I do?"

"I'm not sure, sweetheart, but I know one thing for certain right now," his voice was low, intensely earnest, and tinged with more than a little anger. "Demeter would know precisely what that form means. She would know precisely the power that lies behind it. If something happened, she should not have covered it up and she damn well should not have shut you down for asking about it. It should have honing and control, or, barring that, at the very least there should be understanding." He shook his head in disgust. "I can't believe she would do that."

"I can," she sighed, playing with her mug. "She wanted me to be the perfect innocent virgin flower goddess. She didn't tell me I'm a fertility goddess, Hades, of course she's not going to tell me that I have something even more powerful in me." She took a gulp of her tea. "I just wish I knew what it means. Why does my form look so similar to yours? Does the meaning of my name tie in somehow? I don't...I don't even know where to start."

"I do." He smiled softly. "We start right here. There are many questions. Some of which we may never know the answer to. But you are here with me. I, for one, do not wish for you to be a perfect, innocent, virgin flower goddess. I like that we make love and we fuck. I like that you're spicy and feisty, not innocent. I do think you're pretty damn perfect for me, but part of that is you  _ do  _ have imperfections. And I damn sure don't want you to be  _ a flower goddess _ . You are the incredibly powerful goddess of Spring and I'm thrilled for you that we've discovered you are more. So, regardless of where all this leads, regardless of the questions, where we start is right here, hand in hand." He squeezed her fingers.


	2. Hiding In Plain Sight

Persephone squeezed back and leaned over to kiss him gently. "Thank you," she murmured. "Do you think you could teach me how to control it?"

"I'm absolutely certain I can and I'd be happy to. A lot of what we've been working on with controlling your wrath will apply. It's just on a larger scale, so to speak." Hades rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "I contacted Hecate this morning. She said she’d meet with us this evening. I thought it best to leave out details for now, so she just thinks it's a business meeting."

"Oh, thank you for doing that! I'm so glad we're going to get that taken care of right away. It'll make me feel better." She took a thoughtful sip of tea. "Do you think she might know about my extra power?"

Hades gave her a lopsided grin. "I've learned over the years not to make assumptions about the limits of Hecate’s knowledge. I'm always wrong. I'd lay money on her knowing at least _something_ useful."

Persephone laughed. "She's an extraordinary person." She sighed and muttered. "I just can't stop thinking about my powers. I feel like the answer is just beyond my grasp and if I think hard enough I'll be able to figure it out. I need something to take my mind off it."

He smiled. "How about lunch with me? The stares we’ll almost certainly get would be enough to distract from anything."

She brightened. "Yes! Let's go out to lunch. Can it be someplace nice? I want our first public date to be fancy. Is that silly?"

"Not silly in the least. I love the idea. Would you mind if I treat for our first public date?"

"No, I don't mind at all. Good thing I brought a nice dress, just in case," she grinned at him. "I need to shower though."

"If we shower together, it will save time." He waggled his eyebrows. "Probably."

"I doubt it," she laughed. "How hungry are you."

"Not extremely. I grabbed a bit of breakfast earlier." He frowned a little. "You didn't have anything to eat. We probably shouldn't delay getting to lunch."

"Probably not," she conceded as her stomach rumbled loudly. "Do you want to go first, or shall I?"

"Why don't you go ahead?" Hades leaned over and kissed her forehead before slipping off his stool. "I think I'm going to try to get a little more of that paperwork done so that you can have even more of my unfettered attention later."

"Okay," she hopped off her own stool and headed down the hall. "I'll be quick!"

Hades smiled as he watched her go, whistling softly to himself as he headed to his office. _I'm about to go on a date. A public date with my girlfriend._ A darker thought intruded. _At least she wants to be seen with me..._ He spared a brief thought for Minthe and their tumultuous relationship, but how it looked, how it felt, was the polar opposite from what he felt with Persephone. _This is so completely different. I can accept that I deserve to be happy and she undeniably makes me happy._

Persephone hurried down the hall to the bedroom where she shed her pajamas and skipped into the bathroom to start the shower. She stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair and thinking. _It's so nice to be accepted and encouraged._ She remembered Demeter's eyes flashing in anger when she asked about primal forms, and shook herself to dissipate the anger that washed over her. _She should have told me. She should have told me everything. But it's fine, I'll figure it out for myself._ She climbed into the shower and washed herself quickly.

Hades busied himself with paperwork, trying to resist the impulse to go join Persephone in the shower. His phone chimed softly and he pulled it out to see a message from Poseidon.

**_Poseidon:_ **

**_Hey, blueberry. Family dinner_ **

**_this weekend. My place._ **

**_Your turn to bring wine._ **

Frowning, Hades tapped out a reply. Would Persephone be up for it? Better to ask her before committing one way or the other. Worst case scenario, he could go alone, but the idea seemed unappealing.

**_Hades:_ **

**_I'm not sure if I'll be able to._ **

**_I have some business things_ **

**_to attend to this weekend._ **

**_Poseidon:_ **

**_Ugh. You are such an old man._ **

**_Don't make me pull out Zeus'_ **

**_'family stuff is mandatory' card._ **

Hades grinned. He could just see his brother's exasperated face.

**_Hades:_ **

**_I’ll see how things_ **

**_turn out. No promises._ **

Persephone padded into the bedroom wrapped in a towel and poked her head into the hallway. "Hades, it's your turn!" she called, pausing for him to reply.

"Ok," he called out, "I'll be right there!" He made his way quickly down the hall to the bedroom.

Persephone was putting on her bra when Hades came into the bedroom. "Hey!" She smiled at him. "Don't take too long."

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a grin. He started shrugging out of his robe. "I just got a message from Poseidon. There's a family dinner this weekend. Do you think you might be up to going? There is no pressure and you certainly can take some time to decide. I just wanted to let you know about it."

"Oh, I'd love to go!" she said, excited. She pulled a light pink faux-wrap dress with a fruit print over her head. "Can you zip me up?"

Hades eyed her appreciatively. "Of course. If I can take a moment to ogle you." He circled around her. "That dress is beautiful."

She blushed. "Thank you. I saw it and just sort of fell in love."

He ran a finger over the silky material down to the zipper and caressed the bare skin of her back as he drew the zipper up. He whispered in her ear. "I'm sure you know by now that I'm partial to pomegranates."

"Are you?" she asked. "I don't actually think I knew that." She smiled at him over her shoulder. "I'm glad you like it."

"Darling, I love the dress. I'm looking forward to taking it off you slowly." His hands curved over her hips as he kissed the side of her neck. "I chose a pomegranate for the logo of my company, sweetness. I wanted a representation of endless hidden potential. I knew I wanted a company that could cover many aspects of many things."

"Endless hidden potential?" she whispered. She shook her head slightly. "That never even registered." She turned, tying the sash of her dress and smiling brightly. "You'd better get in the shower, sweetheart." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him softly.

He returned her kiss with a grin and turned to pad to the bathroom. Hades skimmed this thumbs into the waistband of his boxers and let them fall to the floor as he walked, displaying his bare ass with a saucy grin tossed over his shoulder.

Persephone ogled him appreciatively. "Nice butt!" She slipped into the bathroom after him and stood in front of the mirror to comb her hair.

He hummed as he turned on the water in the shower stall. "It's so very nice to be appreciated. I happen to think you have a very nice butt as well. Just so that you know."

"Oh! Well." She grinned at him in the mirror. "Thank you very much. I'm glad you approve." She drew her comb through her long pink locks, then deftly braided it and twisted it into a chignon. "I'll wait for you in the living room," she said, sashaying out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Hades couldn't have stopped the broad grin that curved his lips if he'd tried. _She makes me so happy. I could happily devote my eternity to making her as happy as she makes me._ He stepped under the water and let it wet down his hair, his mind drifting over the revelations and confessions of the past 24 hours. So much has changed. _Endless hidden potential for both of us, in so many ways. I wonder if the mortals will start associating the pomegranate with us..._

Hades washed quickly, eager to get back out to Persephone and start the day. Once out of the shower, he took care in getting ready, wanting to look his best for her on their first public date. _Hmmm. Tie might be too fancy for lunch... Charcoal trousers... White shirt..._ As he perused his choices, the same softly bubbling feeling of joy that had accompanied him all morning continued and he grinned as he dressed, aware that he probably looked foolish and not caring in the least. He dried and fixed his hair, and headed out to the living room to find Persephone

Persephone had fixed herself a fresh cup of tea and settled herself on the couch with a book while she waited. _What an extraordinary night. I can't wait to see if Hecate knows something about these new powers._ She looked up as he walked in and her face brightened with a wide smile. "You look very nice," she said, standing up and going on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. She slipped on a pair of pink ballet flats and a white cardigan. "All set?"

"I'm ready." He grabbed his keys, phone and wallet from the counter. "Do you have any preferences on where we go, other than somewhere nice?"

She shook her head as she shrugged into her coat and and picked up her handbag. "I'm not really familiar with the options around here. I don't eat out much." She watched him as he prepared to leave. _So handsome. Fates, but he's handsome_. "I defer to your expert opinion," she said with a smile.

He laughed and gave her a crooked grin as they left the house. "Fair enough. I suppose you won't try to wheedle me into letting you drive if I'm supposed to be picking where we're going?"

"Noooo," she said, blushing. "I suppose I'll let you drive this time." She slipped her hand into his and tugged. "Give me a kiss. Just in case somebody's watching." She grinned up at him. "Don't want to disappoint them, right?"

"No," he whispered with a smile, "we can't have that." He cupped her cheek tenderly in one hand and kissed her softly. The caress was safe enough for public, but left no doubt as to feeling and connection. After a few moments of sweet kisses, Hades drew back and winked at her. "I won't be upset if you want to do that at any time for potential paparazzi fodder."

"You should also feel free to request paparazzi kisses at any time," she laughed. He held the door open for her as she climbed into the car, and she giggled to herself in helpless happiness as he walked around to the driver's side and got in. "So, do you have a place in mind for lunch?" She slipped her hand back into his after he started the car.

"There is a lovely, classy little bistro in downtown. It's not a hole in the wall, but it's not an excessively formal place. I thought it would be a good balance between not hiding and still being able to have a nice quiet lunch." He grinned at her as he pulled out of the driveway. "I half expected you to request we fly together."

"There's not being afraid of people seeing us in public," she replied, "and then there's being downright ostentatious." She squeezed his hand and settled back into the seat comfortably. "Your little bistro sounds perfect." 

"I'm hoping you might want to be ostentatious with me sometime. Might be fun." He stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. 

She smiled broadly, nearly overwhelmed by happiness. "So what's going on at Poseidon's this weekend?"

"Poseidon's message just said family dinner. They're usually pretty informal. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon and Amphitrite, and usually my nieces and nephews that are still living at home. Just everyone getting together for a meal and visiting with each other "

"That sounds really nice. I've never met Amphitrite. I'd very much like to go." She hesitated. "As long as that's okay with you." She looked up at him shyly. Despite everything that had transpired in the last 24 hours she still couldn't quite believe that this king wanted to include her in family activities. In a way it was just as intimate as what they'd shared the night before.

"Sweetness," he glanced over at her, "it's so much more than just okay with me. Please don't ever feel obligated to go with me to something, but I would love to have you with me at anything where you felt comfortable. From formal Olympus parties where I have to wear a uniform to casual family get-togethers where Zeus and Poseidon make off color jokes they'd never dare make in public."

She looked at him, blushing prettily. "I want to do everything with you, Hades." She squeezed his hand again. "I would love to have dinner with your family. I want to go to fancy parties with you, and to see movies and plays and concerts, I want everything."

He grinned broadly and winked at her. "Then we shall. We shall do everything and flaunt how ridiculously happy we are together."


	3. Public Intrusion

It was a short walk from where Hades had managed to find a parking space to the restaurant and it seemed like every other person they passed did a double take or elbowed their neighbor and whispered, or pulled out their phone to take a picture.

He laid his free hand over Persephone’s nestled in the crook of his elbow and whispered to her, “Sorry for all the stares.”

Persephone shrugged, a little uncomfortable. “I’ll get used to it, I’m sure.”

“If it ever gets too much,” he murmured with an outrageous leer, trying to make her laugh, “can I visit wrath and vengeance on them for upsetting you? I’ll even fill out all the paperwork.”

She slapped his arm with an outraged giggle. “ _ Only _ if you do the paperwork,” she said sternly, eyes twinkling with mirth.

Hades grinned and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I shall be certain to follow procedures. I wouldn’t want to risk your wrath.”

They arrived at the restaurant and the other patrons immediately started staring and whispering, and taking surreptitious photos. Persephone clutched Hades' hand as they were led to their table, looking up at him with a nervous smile.

Mindful of the soft sound of photos being taken, Hades squeezed her hand reassuringly and bent down to whisper in her ear as he pulled out her chair, "The best thing to do is ignore them when it's like this. You're doing well."

She blushed slightly and whispered back "Kiss me." 

He smiled and kissed her lips tenderly, perfectly decorous, but leaving no doubt of how he felt.

Persephone closed her eyes and savored the soft caress of his lips against hers, smiling as the murmurs around them got louder.  _ Let them look. Let them see how wrong they are about him. I want all the realms to see how wonderful he is. _ Hades winked at her with a roguish grin as he pulled back. "You like stirring the pot, don't you?"

"Maybe just a little bit," she murmured, mirroring his grin.

Hades laughed as he took his own seat. "Oh, this is going to be fun. I can’t wait to see all the ways I can stir them up with you." He thought quietly for a moment before leaning over with a raised eyebrow and asking her in a conspiratorial whisper, "Is it bad of me to want to bait the photogs, then hammer them for stepping over the line?"

She looked up from studying the menu and laughed. "No, I don't think so. I think that would be rather fun.It would serve them right for taking bait they know better than to take."

He grinned broadly. "Devious. A woman after my own heart."

"Then I suppose we're truly meant to be," she murmured, blushing as she looked back down at her menu. A server bustled up to the table and nervously took their drink orders, then hurried away.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" he commented quietly as he looked over his own menu. "That sounds like perfection to me. I suppose it wouldn’t to other beings, but I love the idea of mischief with you. All the nonsense we used to get into was some of the most fun I’d had in centuries."

"It sounds like perfection to me, too. Does that mean you really  _ were _ having fun even though you were huffing in exasperation the whole time?" She fixed him with a glittering stare and a raised eyebrow.

Hades blinked and blushed, ducking his head and muttering, “I can neither confirm, nor deny….”

Persephone just laughed at him.

The server came back to take their food orders and scuttled away again. The whispered gossip seemed to have died down somewhat and Persephone relaxed. "What time is Hecate coming over tonight?"

"About 7, but she said she's flexible. I thought I'd put together something for dinner for the three of us."

"Oh, that sounds nice." She smiled as she sipped her mimosa and glanced around the restaurant. "It seems like everyone has calmed down a little bit. There are only two people taking photos at a time instead of twelve."

"Seems promising overall. Though I'd expect this is only a lull. If the social columnists get wind that we're here, then I expect everything will spike up a bit. Though it shouldn't get  _ too _ terrible." He raised his glass to her. "They'll do as they please anyway. I'm more concerned about right here at this table. A toast to you, and us, to unexpected changes, to new things, and to a sense of right so profound it's sublime."

She blushed again, and clinked her glass against his. "I'll drink to that."

As their food arrived, Hades saw another patron rise from her table and wend her way over to them. He nudged Persephone surreptitiously. "Incoming. Either a reporter or someone is starstruck with one of us and wants an autograph."

Persephone looked up at him and smiled serenely. "Excellent. Let's make some headlines, darling." She took a calm sip of her mimosa and winked.

The yellow nymph neared their table and grinned broadly with a polite, apologetic curtsey. "Your Majesty, Ms Persephone. I hope you'll forgive me for intruding. I saw you over here and just couldn't help myself. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

Persephone looked at Hades expectantly, deferring to his greater experience with the press for guidance.

"I'm sure you are aware of my preferences for questions from the press at appropriate times and places," he said, with a trace of reprimand. "But as you are at least being polite about it, I am willing to make an exception."

The nymph blushed and stammered. "Oh. Well, thank you, sir. Um..." She flipped through a notepad. "It's become known that Ms Persephone has been working at Underworld Corporation for some time, but Saturday afternoon seems an unusual time for a business lunch and it's even more unusual for someone in your position, Ms Persephone, no offense intended, to be having lunch with the king. Is this just a business lunch?"

Hades shook his head. "Persephone and I have been friends for a long time. For that alone, this wouldn't be _ just _ a business lunch." He paused and glanced at Persephone to see if she wanted to interject anything.

Persephone nodded slightly and added, "I'm interested to know, exactly, what position you're referring to? I am an Olympian, a direct descendant of the Six Traitors Dynasty, and a powerful goddess in my own right. What about that, exactly, makes me unfit to be having lunch with the king?"

The nymph blushed a deep goldenrod and stammered, "I- I'm sorry. I only meant that someone in your position at Underworld Corporation wouldn't necessarily be having lunch with the CEO..." She floundered, visibly uncomfortable and striving to regain control of her interview. Out of the corner of his eye, Hades could see the restaurant manager approaching with a disapproving look in his eye. Hades signaled to the faun to hold off for a moment.

He turned back to the reporter nymph as she blurted, "Are you setting up business contacts between Olympus and the Underworld?"

Persephone smiled a little nastily. "Surely someone in such a lowly position at Underworld Corp wouldn't be qualified for such an undertaking. Additionally, you yourself pointed out that Saturday is an unusual day for a business lunch. Haven't you answered your own question before you even asked it?" She took a calm sip of her mimosa and raised an eyebrow at Hades, passing the baton back to him.

The nymph gaped and stammered and Hades took pity on her. She'd been a great deal more polite than many reporters he'd known, if indelicate, and her demeanor fairly screamed 'eager newbie'.

"Persephone and I are together," he said softly. "This is not a business lunch. It's a date."

The yellow nymph's eyes went wide as saucers and she stuttered for a moment before she managed to collect herself, scrambling for a fresh page in her notebook and blurting out question after question on their relationship, almost faster than they could be answered. Hades held up a hand, forestalling the flood. "I'm sure you understand that I'm interested in a quiet lunch with my girlfriend and I  _ do _ prefer press questions in an appropriate venue," he remarked pointedly. "Which this is decidedly  _ not _ . We'll take just a few questions, then I'd appreciate it if you left us in peace."

The nymph nodded fervently, still blushing. "How long have you been together?"

Persephone smiled at Hades. "We've been seeing each other for about two months." She reached across the table and took his hand.

The nymph ventured a small smile as Hades squeezed Persephone's hand with a smile of his own. "Yet you managed to keep it secret. I'm impressed." She scribbled in her notepad. "Ms Persephone, is your mother aware that you're dating the king of the Underworld?"

Persephone laughed out loud. "No, she's not. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but don't you dare contact her for comment." She fixed the report with a gimlet eye. "I'm serious. Don't do it."

The nymph's eyes widened in fear and Hades chuckled under his breath.

"I- I promise I won't, Ms Persephone." She swallowed hard and turned to Hades. "Your Majesty, how will you handle any allegations of favoritism since you're again dating an employee?"

Hades scowled. "I'm sure you can appreciate the fact that my dating of anyone that resides in this realm could be seen as some evidence of favoritism. There is no favoritism here."

"I have worked hard for everything I've achieved," Persephone put in. "I don't need the favors of a king to reach my goals. I'm perfectly capable of achieving them myself."

The nymph scribbled in her notepad before looking up, her eyes full of an overeager light. "Since you're dating, you must have considered, your Majesty... Do you think Ms Persephone would be a good queen of the Underworld? Is the goddess of Spring capable of ruling the realm of the dead?"


	4. Subjective Theoreticals

Hades stared at her in shock at the presumption for a split second before he bristled, a red flare in his eye. Distantly, he was aware of a surge of delight at the thought of Persephone ruling beside him and trepidation at what she might be thinking to have this laid out so baldly, so soon. But primarily, he was pissed. Not only at the prying nature of the question, he realized, but at the intimation that Persephone couldn't be the best at anything to which she set herself.

Persephone's eyes sprang wide.  _ Queen of the Underworld? I didn't even think about that. Did  _ he  _ think about that? _ She looked at Hades uncertainly and saw the tell-tale signs of anger  _ Anger at the content of the question or that it was asked at all?  _ Surely it was at the fact that the reporter had asked such a muck-raking question at all. She couldn’t imagine that he would be that angry over the thought of her as queen.

Thoughts flashed across her mind.  _ Queen. I would be an excellent queen. Would I want to be? I-I think I would. If I could rule with him _ .

Ordinarily, she would have tried to smooth his ire, to ease whatever temper had taken him, but she didn't particularly feel like diffusing it in this situation. The nymph reporter  _ had _ asked an extremely personal question, and one entirely inappropriate for such an early stage in their relationship.  _ We’ve barely gone public with our relationship, she certainly has no right to ask. _ She sat back and crossed her arms, waiting for Hades to set the reporter straight.

Simmering at the back of her mind was awareness of a low arousal at seeing his irritation. His tense focus provoked something raw in her.  _ I don’t ever want to see him angry at me, but Fates, I love seeing him wrathful at someone else. _ The memory of him in his primal form trailed through her mind and she suppressed a shiver.  _ It’s another kind of power. Raw, angry authority… _ She wrested her mind back to focus on Hades and the reporter as he spoke.

"You are new to your job, are you not, Ms..." Hades kept his voice low, despite wanting to shout, with the effect that all of his anger was concentrated into the clipped syllables.

"Agaue, your Majesty," she quivered, having realized her danger too late.

"Ms Agaue, you are with one of the Underworld's newspapers, not Olympian, is that correct?"

"Y-yes, sir. The Herald."

Hades clicked his jaw and went on in the same tone of silky menace, his hands fisted on the table. "The Herald is a decent paper, yet that question was worthy of the dirt grubbers of the worst tabloids. I am prepared to be patient with the press, but not when you pry into areas you have no business in. While the capability of any ruler of a realm is of interest to its citizens, it is not the stuff of gossip for your society column! Whether Persephone would be a good queen or not is not up for discussion at this stage in the proceedings and certainly not as a tidbit to draw in your readers. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

The nymph squeaked out a terrified, "Yes, your Majesty!" as the manager hurried over and none too gently ushered her out the door with an apologetic bow at Hades and Persephone.

Hades slumped back into his chair and scrubbed a hand across his face. "I'm sorry about that."

Persephone looked at him with a wide smile. "It's quite alright, Hades." She grabbed his hand again and squeezed, and lowered her voice as she leaned close to him. "That was really hot."

He gave her a lopsided smile. "That's an odd little kink you have, but I like it."

She laughed, a musical sound. “Says the man who gets half hard at the idea of me being wrathful.” She winked at him as he blushed and stammered. "Let's eat, shall we?"

Hades cleared his throat. "I think that's a superb plan." He picked up his fork as the manager hurried back over to their table. The faun was visibly sweating with nervous fear and he bowed absurdly low. "Your Majesty. Ms Persephone. I would like to offer my most abject and humblest apologies for this terrible experience and any offense you may have suffered."

Persephone looked up in surprise. "There's no need to apologize," she said kindly. "We did offer to take a few questions, after all."

Hades nodded. "Indeed. That is hardly the fault of your establishment."

The manager relaxed a little. "Thank you for that kind understanding. But please, as a way to compensate for what  _ did _ happen, it is my pleasure to offer your meals on the house today and I do hope you will both come back and dine with us again."

Hades shook his head. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'll not allow your business to suffer for the actions of a nosy reporter."

"But, sir-!"

Hades gently but firmly cut off the faun's protests with a smile. "I insist. So either you may bring me the bill at the end of the meal or I shall find another way to pay."

The manager laughed and bowed once more. "Very well, your Majesty. I appreciate your generosity." He whisked away from the table, leaving them alone once more.

Persephone watched this exchange with shining eyes, admiring Hades' sense of justice. "You're a very fair person, Hades. I appreciate that about you very much."

He winked at her. "I am a judge after all. It wouldn't do for me to be anything other than fair-minded." Hades raised her hand and kissed it. "I'm very touched to hear you say you appreciate me. I like how that feels."

"I'm glad. I will always try to do things that make you feel good." They chatted amiably as they finished their meal and Hades paid the bill. 

"What shall we do now?"

"There's a little park near here. Nothing terribly exciting, but it's nice. Would you like to take a walk?"

"I'd love to," she smiled as she rose out of her chair and slipped into her coat.

Hades offered her his arm as they walked out of the restaurant, aware that the buzz of gossip was surrounding them once more. "That bit of concentrated unpleasantness aside, I think that went quite well for a first public date."

She nodded as she took his arm. "I agree. I suppose we could have avoided the unpleasantness by refusing to answer any questions. But she would likely have written about it anyway, and it would have been pure speculation, which is much worse than 7 minutes of awkwardness."

He smiled. "Sweetness, that was precisely my thought. Though at the time I didn't expect she'd get quite so invasive. That's quite perceptive of you. I've known plenty of otherwise intelligent individuals who fended off anything like an interview, then found out speculation and rumor were so much worse." He chuckled. "Zeus's early attempts at ruling were, shall we say,  _ fraught _ ."

Persephone laughed. "I can't even imagine. My mother has told me stories about that. His early exploits are the reason she decided to live in the mortal realm." She leaned her head against his arm. "She's told me some things about public relations. But it really just seems like common sense to me."

"You're a natural," he murmured softly, smiling down at her. His thoughts turned back to the reporters invasive question. _She is a natural at so much that comes with what I do. Queen... In all this talk of belonging to each other and the immediate logistics of publicity, it hasn't really come up what long term might mean for us. I don't know how soon is too soon to talk about it…_ _I can’t shake the feeling that decision was just made for us, though._ Now that it had been brought up, it was on both their minds and it made no sense to not talk about it even if it was too soon.

"Sweetness," he began nervously, "there's something I think we need to discuss. I don't really know where to start and it'll probably feel at least a little awkward for both of us. But no judgement of ineloquence and everything is basically theoretical, yes?"

She looked up at him, surprised. "Of course. What is it?" Her stomach twisted a little bit.  _ Has he changed his mind about wanting to be public with our relationship _ ?

"What and how I feel about you hasn't changed. But that reporter’s question made me realize... In all of this, we've been focused on the here and now and the immediate future. While this is valid, we haven't given much thought to the longer term." He sighed. "I have no interest in rushing things. I want to do right by us. But I think it's inescapable that we will be asked again about you being queen. Possibly more invasively than Agaue just asked us. I think we at least need to discuss it theoretically so that we are not caught out on a question."

She stopped and looked at him, wide-eyed. Her mind was racing. "Okay. Theoretically." She squeezed his arm with her own and urged him to walk again. "So theoretically, what do you think of it?" Her stomach was doing flips and she found she was having trouble keeping her voice from shaking.  _ This is a big deal. This is a very nerve wracking big deal _ .

Hades sighed. "I have many thoughts on this. Some of them cannot be objective, but they are inextricably part of how I feel." He squeezed her small hand on his arm with his free hand. "Objectively, I am happier with you, now and as we are, than I can ever remember being. We could remain like this and I could be content. Objectively, I care about you and your wellbeing, and if you would not be happy in such a role, I would never force it on you. I- that's part of what I learned the hard way with Minthe. Objectively, and absent from my own interests, I think you would make a _ phenomenal _ queen." He sighed quietly. "The rest is very subjective..."

She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.  _ He thinks I'd be a good queen _ . A feeling of giddiness grew inside her and she felt like she must be glowing. "Well, in theory and without knowing much about what would be expected of me, I would be..." she hesitated, not sure exactly how to word it. "I would be honored to be Queen of the Underworld, and would strive every day to be worthy of the title." She paused and gave Hades a crooked smile. "Theoretically."

His breath caught in his throat on a swell of dizzying happiness. "Theoretically. Of course," he said faintly. "Did you want to hear my subjective reasoning or was the objective satisfactory to you?"

She blushed. "Yes, I believe I would. You are, after all, the best person to determine whether I'm qualified. Objective or not." She smiled up at him sweetly.

"Unfortunately, it has less to do with qualifications than you might hope," he whispered, eyes on the path as they walked, "and much more to do with my own emotions. I have ruled alone for a very, very long time. For a long time, I was willing to settle for a simply 'ok' queen just so that I would no longer be alone. Now, with you... Sweetheart, you would be an incredible queen even if I had nothing to do with it. The idea of being able to rule beside you? I cannot even begin to describe how that makes me feel. It’s not just the idea of not ruling alone. It’s… the thought that I could connect this joy I feel in being with you to caring for the realm..." He swallowed and ran his fingers through his hair. "But if you are not comfortable with ruling, then I will not force it on you. It feels so conflicted to say that I hope, some day, you might be my queen, then in the next breath to say that I would happily remain as we are. But that’s where my thoughts are. Even more than I want a queen, I want you to be able to be happy All of this feels much too soon to discuss anyway. Maybe I should have waited to bring it up until everything was more settled, but I wasn’t sure if we could just ignore the elephant in the room after she brought it up."

She stopped and tugged on his arm so he turned to face her, his rambling stopping abruptly as he turned to look questioningly at her. Standing on tiptoe, Persephone cupped Hades’ face in both hands and drew him down to kiss him tenderly. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes, her own glowing pink with the intensity of her feelings.  _ I still don’t know for sure if I would be a good queen, but he has such faith in me. I want to try. _

"Ask me again later," she whispered. "I promise I'll say 'yes'."

  
  



	5. Competitive Cuddling

Hades looked down at her and cradled her face in his large hands. ‘ _ I’ll say yes…’ _ She would be his queen. Too many emotions coursed through him to be able to focus on just one. Wild elated joy merged with a sense of humbled pride.  _ She could have her pick of gods and she chose me... _

It took him a moment to muster words past the lump of happiness in his throat. "You are an extraordinary creature," he rasped, emotion shining in his crimson eyes.

"So are you," she murmured in reply. She pressed her cheek into his palm, then turned her head to kiss it. “When everything is more settled and it’s the right time, ask me properly.”

Hades blushed and stroked his thumb over her cheek, a soft smile on his face. “Remember, this is all theoretical. So that’s a theoretical promised yes. I suppose I better be on my best behavior so that you don’t change your mind.”

Persephone laughed out loud. “Maybe not your  _ very _ best behavior, my malefactor captor. I find I rather like your scoundrelness.”

Hades laughed and scooped her into an exuberant hug. “Duly noted.

Persephone laughed with him and kissed him soundly. "Should we go back to your place?"

He let her slip back to the ground and glanced at his watch. "Hmm. We have a couple of hours before Hecate is due to arrive... I confess, I have a notion to take you to that Tower 2 Bakery, but it's probably best we limit public exposure at work until we talk with Hecate."

She nodded. "I think that's probably a wise decision. Maybe we can grab a breakfast pastry together on Monday."

"I like the way you think." He guided them back toward the car. "So, what would you like to do with the time we have before our meeting?"

"How much time do we have?"

"About three hours. Some of that time, will be needed to prepare dinner, but that can be something quick and easy in the oven."

"Can we maybe cuddle and read or something?” She looked up at him with a smile. “I don't want to be disheveled when Hecate arrives."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan." He sighed happily. "You've spoiled me, sweetness."

"What do you mean?" she laughed. "Because I want to cuddle and read?"

"Yes," he murmured wistfully. Then, suddenly realizing how needy that made him sound, he hastened to add, "It's just simple things that I never expected to find so appealing, you know? Just the affectionate connection." Embarrassed, he fell silent. The need for simple connection and hugs was strong. He hadn’t suspected it about himself in the least. Minthe hadn’t been big on cuddling, even in her kinder moments, and none of his other partners had lasted long enough or been close enough to really investigate. The first time Persephone had cuddled him had been an awakening.

She looked at him for a moment, then smiled to herself and decided to play along.  _ Sweetheart, I don’t know how any being ever got the idea that you are so inscrutable. I can read you like a book. _ It was clear that he was conflicted about needing such simple contact. For all of his growth, Hades had internalized pain and solitude for centuries and it resurfaced on occasion, particularly under stress such as the day had brought. She would wait him out.

Hades blushed and fell silent, his thoughts whirling.  _ You aren't being honest with her, or yourself. You know perfectly well what you actually meant. Stop deflecting. She deserves better and you deserve better. _

"Kore?" he said quietly, hesitantly, after a moment.

"Yes, sweetheart?" She slipped her hand into his and squeezed his fingers. "What's up?"

"That was not entirely honest of me," he murmured, leaving his keys in the ignition without turning the car on. "I'm sorry. You deserve better. We both do. You've spoiled me by showing me affection that I didn't know I needed. I didn't really know I needed what you’ve brought me."

She looked at him, eyes soft. "I know that, sweetheart," she smiled. "I knew that after the first time we snuggled on your couch." She reached out and brushed the lock of hair out of his eyes. "I crave it, too. So that works out nicely." She laced her fingers into his and raised his hand to kiss his knuckles.

Hades smiled. "Indeed it does. Darling, I promise you that I'll be honest with you. Even if I have to catch myself in deflecting and correct afterwards.”

"As long as you're not misleading me deliberately, I will be happy," she murmured. "Shall we get going?"

He gently extricated his fingers and turned on the car, putting it into gear, before returning his hand to hers. "I'm going to cuddle you so hard when we get there."

"I'm going to cuddle you harder," she sassed back with a grin.

"Please do. I rather like the idea of competitive cuddling."

"So do I. I'm going to win, too." She grinned at him. Hades just gave her a smirk.

As he drove, Persephone stroked her thumb over the back of his hand, feeling the ridges of tendon and bone under her fingers.  _ Queen. I could be his queen. _ Despite her earlier thoughts, the notion of ruling a realm still carried a frisson of panic with it. She tried thinking of it another way, pulling back in her thought of a moment ago.  _ I would not be ruling alone. I’d be  _ his _ queen. He’d help me and I’d help him. _ Somehow the idea of being linked with and tied to him made it all much easier to consider.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the drive had ended until Hades pulled into the driveway and extricated his hand to put the car into park. He turned to Persephone and grinned. "Are you ready for the cuddling of your immortal life?"

"Bring it on, Blue Boy," she grinned. She turned and climbed out of the car, then waited for him to come around to her side so they could walk to the house together. He slid out of the car and circled around to her side with a broad grin. 

"You said you didn't want to be disheveled. How rumpled would be acceptable?"

She thought for a moment as she slipped her hand into his once more. "I would say a mild amount of rumpling would be acceptable."

"Excellent." He swept her up into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.

She squeaked as he lifted her up, then wrapped her arms around his neck, legs dangling. "You can't even wait until we get inside?" she teased.

"Nope," he said cheerfully, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm ambitious to get started on this intensive cuddling."

She dissolved into giggles as she locked her ankles at the base of his spine. "Take me away, O Dread King of the Underworld," she said dramatically before kissing him soundly.

"You're mine, O Dread Queen," he whispered, kissing her neck as he made his way into the house.

Persephone's breath caught at those words.  _ Dread Queen. Bringer of Death. My primal form. I swear it must all mean something _ . She ran the fingers of one hand through his hair and nipped his earlobe, trying to dismiss those thoughts for now. There were much more interesting things to be considered right at that moment. Like how often she could make Hades let out that delicious little moan when she kissed under his ear.

Hades growled under his breath, grinning and arching his neck to give her room. He nudged the door shut and walked over to the couch, sinking down with Persephone straddling his lap. He’d just settled back into the cushions when the clicking of nails on the floor announced Cerberus' presence. The dog jumped up onto the couch and burrowed his head between them with a deep  _ buff _ .

She let out a little shriek of laughter as the big hound inserted himself between them. "Hello, my good boy," she crooned, kissing his snout. "Did you miss us?" Persephone scratched behind his ears in the way she knew he liked and grinned as his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.

"Think he objects to all the attention we're giving each other and none for him?" Hades asked as Cerberus burrowed his nose against Persephone's chest.

Persephone chuckled. "Sweet baby, why are you being such a needy boy?" Cerberus huffed a whine and leaned to the side, pressing his head against her chest. She frowned and looked at Hades. "He doesn't usually do this. It's not like we were gone for a long time." She looked down at Cerberus. "What's going on, bud?"

Hades’ brow furrowed. "I don't know what's gotten into him." He stroked a hand gently over Cerberus' head, his eyes flaring slightly as he probed the dog's power with his own. As he himself was connected to the Underworld so was its guardian and his powers were connected to Cerberus. The link between them had been useful any number of times over the centuries. It wasn’t always open, but a moment’s thought and concentration could open it from any distance. Hades searched into the dog’s thoughts and feelings carefully. 

The desire for pets and attention… An ever present need for treats… A satisfaction in being with the two beings he loved most… Hades smiled. He knew that Cerberus loved him and he knew that the dog had loved Persephone since the first moment she won him over with chin scratches and belly rubs. A sparkling thread in that satisfaction caught his attention and Hades probed at it. His eyes widened in shock, his smile fading into open-mouthed surprise, as the Guardian’s emotion seemed to blossom into so much more under the gentle pressure. More than love and satisfaction. Devotion. Dedication. Fealty. Loyalty so fierce that it knew no target other than…

_ Queen.. _ . 

Hades croaked out, his heart pounding, "Sweetness. He knows. I don't understand how, but... Fates... He  _ knows _ ..."

She looked at him, confused. "Knows what?" She looked down at the dog and then back at Hades. "What could he know that would make him a velcro dog?"

"He knows about the talk we had. He knows we talked about you being queen." Cerberus  _ whuff _ ed softly as Hades, hands shaking, stroked his head and ears. "Cerberus is linked to this realm, as am I. Somehow he knows about our conversation earlier. And he  _ approves _ ."


	6. What the Guardian Knows

Persephone stared at him, open-mouthed. _The Guardian of the Underworld approves of me being queen?!_ "How can you possibly know that," she objected. "It's not like he can talk."

"Cerberus is a creature of this realm. I can... feel what he feels. I'm not sure how better to describe it."

"How did you do it?" she demanded. "Did you use your powers?"

Hades shook his head. "It's more in my capacity of lord of the realm. I’m linked with him as I am with all my charges." 

She bit her lip. “Do you think I could do it? You did say I was powerful. Maybe it will work.”

“I don’t expect you’ll be able to feel much of anything, but there is no harm in trying,” Hades said softly. He placed her hand under his on the broad, furry head. "Gently reach out. Start like you did last night when you were searching out my powers."

Persephone closed her eyes and drew in a small trickle of her power. She carefully probed Cerberus, the way she had Hades, slowly pushing deeper until she saw a vision of herself, robed in indigo, skin plum-black and gold-spangled. A spiked black crown rested on her head and she sat on a large throne, the twin of the one Hades sat upon next to her.

She jerked back with a gasp, breath coming short, and stared at Cerberus in disbelief, heart hammering, her hands clutched to her chest.

Hades watched her with wide eyes. His hand over hers on the dog's head had sparked like electricity and he'd seen a vision, like an afterimage. _A queen, seated at my side_...He whispered, "Sweetheart, did you see...?"

She looked up at him, startled. "Did _you_ see? _What_ did you see?" she croaked. She looked back down at Cerberus, face a mask of confusion.

"I saw you," he murmured, "resplendent in blue, gold and purple-black, crowned and seated at my side." His hand trembled a bit as he took hers. "It was fuzzy. Like an afterimage. I- I think I tapped into your vision..."

She nodded mutely, her eyes searching his for a moment before she asked softly, "Are you scared of this?"

"Yes," he murmured, caressing her cheek. "and no. This is beyond anything I've ever experienced. I don't understand it and it's rare I find something I don't understand. However..." He smiled. "This still feels the rightest of anything I've ever known. I cannot be scared of _that_."

Persephone grasped his hand in her own and looked at him. Her stomach was doing flips and her mind was spinning as she tried to process this vision with the revelations of the last day. "Can anyone else besides you read Cerberus?" she whispered, trembling.

"I wish I could give you a fully definite answer." Hades shook his head regretfully. "Very few have ever tried. But I can tell you for certain that Hera cannot and Hecate cannot. Are you frightened, sweetheart?"

Picking up on the tension crackling in the two gods, Cerberus lifted his head and gave an unhappy canine whine of confusion, his ears pinned back to his head.

"I-I don't know," she stammered. "It doesn't seem like I should be able to do it, does it? Hecate is linked to the Underworld and she can't do it. Why can I?!" She absently scratched Cerberus's head in response to his sound of distress. "Why can I?" she whispered. "Who _am_ I?"

"Hecate is also," he reminded her, "for all the strength of her ability, not as strong as you are. I'm not sure what the commonality is, darling. I wish I did. However, I am confident we can figure it out together. The important thing is that you are still _you_. Regardless of what this is, you are not changing. You are simply gaining new knowledge and understanding. You are Persephone. You are the incredibly powerful goddess of Spring. You are lovely." He smiled a little. "You are my girlfriend, my lover. You are you. Uncovering new powers and seeing strange visions cannot change that."

She cupped his face in her small hands. "I don't know what's happening, Hades."

"I know, honey. I'm sorry." He cupped his hands over hers, pressing her palms to his cheeks, closing his eyes. "I wish I could tell you, but... Beyond the sheer fact that you clearly have great power, I don't understand it either."

She leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead to his. "I feel like all of this is connected somehow, but I can't puzzle it out." She hesitated for a moment. "Would it be okay with you if we asked Hecate when she gets here?"

"Absolutely. I trust her completely. If you're alright with her knowing, then we should definitely tell her." He rubbed her back gently. "We will figure this out, sweetness. I promise."

She nuzzled into his neck with a sigh. "It's all very confusing. There are so many things I don't know that I feel like I should know. And it's so difficult not to get angry with my mother over it. Surely she must have known."

"It is understandable for you to be angry with Demeter. I, myself, am angry with her. However, we don't know how much of this she knew"

"Hades,” she asked quietly, “what did you see when you...connected with Cerberus?"

"I didn't get a vision. It was more of a sense of his feelings and thoughts. He feels toward you much the same way he feels toward me. Safety, love, protection, both taken and given." The dog's heavy tail thumped the couch and Cerberus let out a low _buff_. "But there was more underneath. When he was leaning on you, there was a sense of... fealty. Like he'd obey you as he does me. Like somehow, impossibly, he knew about our conversation about you being queen and approved." Cerberus wiggled suddenly and licked both of their faces. Hades laughed, despite the tension, and wiped away the slobber.

Persephone giggled and playfully swatted at the giant dog before wrapping her arms around his neck for a fierce hug. "You're my good boy, aren't you?" she murmured. "Such a good boy." As she kissed his velvety ears, she sighed, closing her eyes. Just when it seemed she had a handle on the latest twist, even if she hadn’t figured it out, another one came along. _How many more surprises can there be?_

She looked up at Hades. "I'm glad Hecate is coming tonight. I hope she can help shed some light on this. In the meantime, can we go back to snuggles? I feel even more like I need them now." She gave him a lopsided grin.

He grinned and opened up his arms to her, inviting her into the embrace. "Well, come here, then." Cerberus darted forward, insinuating himself into the hug, and Hades laughed, pushing him back. "You can lie here next to us and be just fine!" The dog settled next to them on the couch with a grumble. Hades chuckled, opening his arms to Persephone once more.

She shifted as close to him as she could get and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, nuzzling into his neck. "You make me feel safe," she murmured with a contented sigh.

He wrapped her close in his arms. "I'm glad," he whispered. "I feel safe with you, too. I've so rarely felt like I can just relax and just be. With you I don't have to be the king. I don't have to be 'your Majesty'. I can just be Hades. I like that."

__________________

A few hours later, Persephone had just finished setting the table when the doorbell rang, setting off a chorus of excited barking. She poked her head into the kitchen, yelling to be heard over the canine cacophony, "Hecate's here! Do you want to get the door?"

"Sure, just a moment." Hades quickly finished in the kitchen and hurried to the front door, wading through a sea of dogs. Opening the door, he greeted his old friend with a warm smile and a hug and ushered her into the house, bringing her to the dining room.

Persephone waited anxiously while Hades went to let Hecate in. _I hope she knows something about what's going on. I feel like I'm so close to putting the pieces together_. She beamed a smile when Hecate walked in, and went to greet her friend with a warm hug. "Hello, Hecate. How are you?"

Hecate hugged Persephone with a broad smile. "Persephone, I'm very well, thank you. Though I'm wondering what's going on. This guy," he cast Hades a glance, with a wry twist of her lips, "led me to believe that this was a business meeting, yet here I see that you've made me dinner. I'm not complaining on the hospitality, but I find myself wondering if our illustrious king is trying to butter me up for something."

"Well, let's say that it's...business adjacent." Persephone blushed slightly. "Please have a seat," she said, gesturing to a chair. She looked at Hades with raised eyebrows, indicating that he should take over.

Hades rubbed the back of his neck. "Dinner just seemed the polite thing to do. And when I invited you over, it was rather more from a business standpoint. Things have... evolved since then. The first thing, and the main impetus for tonight is that Persephone and I are dating. Publically. We thought it best to consult with you on how to handle the press and PR things."

Hecate sat back in her chair, her hands folded in her lap and a smug, satisfied smile on her face. "I knew it was just a matter of time."

Persephone blinked. "What do you mean?" _She couldn't have known. Could she?_

"My dear, I've seen the way you two looked at each other from the beginning. You both had growing to do and things to work on, but I had a strong hunch and my hunches are almost never wrong."

Persephone looked at Hades, eyes wide. "Well, let's dig in and then we can get down to business." She seated herself across from Hecate and picked up a bottle of wine. "Would you like some, Hecate?"

"I would, thank you," she murmured with a smile.

Hades suppressed a frown, trying to shake the feeling that he'd been dreadfully slow on the uptake. _She's perceptive. You_ know _she's perceptive. Which will hopefully all work out in favor of her helping us figure all of this out_.

Aloud, he said, "We went out for lunch today and had a minor incident with a reporter. Nothing awful. I've definitely had worse at times they wouldn't leave me alone."

Hecate raised an eyebrow as Persephone filled her wine glass. "What kind of incident, Hades? You didn't get physical with them again, did you?"

"I did _not_." He muttered, a little indignantly, "After the earful you gave me last time, do you think I'd downplay something like that as 'nothing awful' and just wait for you to find out later? She asked some nosy questions, I gave her an earful, and she got tossed out of the restaurant. End of incident."

"What kind of nosy questions?" Hecate asked as she dished food onto her plate. Persephone took a gulp of wine as she waited for Hades to answer. _I guess we're just going to jump into this with both feet._

"She asked if I thought Persephone would make a good queen," he said quietly, giving Persephone a warm smile across the table. "I told her off for conducting a gossip-rag interview. We discussed it later in private and decided that there are certain things that, even if it's too early in a conventional relationship to discuss, we will be faced with never-ending questions about them so we need to know what the party line is, so to speak." He inclined his head to Hecate. "That's where we hoped you could help. You know that you've always had a better grasp for the optics of situations than I do. We need to figure out how to present this to the world and how to state that I think Persephone would make a phenomenal queen, even if I had nothing at all to do with it, without insinuating we'll be engaged within a week."

Hecate's eyebrows went up in surprise. "That is a _very_ nosy question," she murmured. She glanced at Persephone, who was watching her anxiously. "I think the best course of action here will be to deflect as positively but ambiguously as possible. Persephone, if you ever receive a question related to you possibly being queen, you should so saying something non-committal, like 'If I were ever to be given such an honor I would do my best to be worthy of it.' If you're together, or if Hades is on his own, Hades should answer something to the effect of, 'Persephone is a powerful and capable goddess who excels at everything she puts her mind to.' At that point, in all circumstances, you should end the interview or conversation immediately." She looked at them shrewdly. "There's more going on than that, isn't there?"

"Quite a bit more. This bit at least is not a problem so much as something we should run by you. It would be best if Persephone reported to someone other than me. If you are amenable, we both thought you would be an excellent choice."

"That's a wise decision," Hecate agreed. "Then any upward mobility in Persephone's career can't be laid at your feet as favoritism. I'm perfectly amenable to this arrangement. Now, what else do we need to contend with here?"

Persephone took a deep breath. "Well, once our relationship becomes common knowledge, there's obviously going to be pushback. But there is one specific area from which the pushback could be particularly...unfortunate." Clutching Hades' hand, she told Hecate everything about the situation with Apollo, and the pictures.

Hades squeezed her hand reassuringly as she laid out all the information.

Hecate's face twisted with sorrow. "Oh, Persephone. Sweetie, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "Setting aside for the moment the question of the sun god and what to do with him long term, I can think of several possible scenarios. The way I see it, we have three options." She ticked off the points on her fingers. "One, that Apollo does nothing. It seems significantly unlikely, but there is a non-zero chance. Two, that he releases the pictures in an attempt to discredit either or both of you. This too seems unlikely, but it's not out of the question. Three, he uses the pictures as extortion to try to get something from either or both of you." She sighed and rubbed her chin. "The first is obviously easiest to deal with except for the tension of whether the status quo changes. The second... I'm not sure what sort of claims he'd make as discrediting, but my thought is that we counter with the truth of what happened with him. Most difficult to deal with will be the third and the overall difficulty for Persephone of having those pictures out there."

Hades frowned. "I don't cave to extortion. Never have. But sweetness..." He turned to Persephone. "I'd do whatever I needed to in order to help prevent harm to you."

"I will not spend the rest of eternity beholden to him. He'll not get anything from me," she said fiercely, tears brimming in her eyes. "Whatever course he takes, his goal will be to shame and blame me for what he did, and likely to rub it in Hades' face that he got there first." She shuddered. "Disgusting."

"So," Hades said quietly, squeezing her hand, "we prepare ourselves for the pictures coming out, whether in retaliation for denied blackmail attempt, or as just a shit headed throw-everything-out-there move."

"Sounds like it," Hecate murmured. "I think a variation on the queen question approach will work well here. If it comes up, there is a standard response and you don't engage tabloid baiting."

Persephone sat quietly, looking at her lap, as Hades and Hecate talked. Suddenly she looked up, eyes blazing. "I'm sick to death of having those photos hanging over my head. Is there anything proactive we can do to neutralize the threat?"

"I can only think of one thing, darling," Hecate said gently, carefully, "right now, the photos are on the offensive. We are on the defense. Reactionary and waiting to see. The only way I can see to take the offense is to out what he did. Coming forward and telling about what Apollo did to you takes the lasciviousness out of the photos and turns them from sex photos into criminal evidence in the view of the general public. They are already that of course, but if we waited, and were reactionary, then we are on the backfoot in terms of changing perception."

She nodded. "It's past time that I report him to the appropriate authorities," she sighed. "I've been too scared...I don't know if anyone will believe me."

"Unfortunately, there might be some that don't," Hades murmured. "Apollo is popular. But I'd bet most will. And even aside from that, it does look like that's the best way to take the power out of the photos and be proactive. I will be right beside you, sweetheart. Every step."

Persephone squeezed his hand, then rose and went to him for a hug. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he smiled as he hugged her tightly.

Hecate smiled as she watched them.

"When you are ready to take the next steps in this, Persephone, let me know. There are some strings I can pull and arrangements to make." She sipped her wine with a crooked smile. "Now, you two have tossed me a lot of hefty information. Was there anything else going on or have we run through the massive shifts?"

Persephone perched on Hades’ knee, and looked at him, then at Hecate. "Well, yes. I would like to get your thoughts on something but at this point..." She looked back at Hades helplessly. "I don't even know where to start."

He rubbed her back gently and laid it all out for Hecate. From showing Persephone his primal form, to her astonishing success at pulling out her own form, leaving out the circumstances. He told her of their discussion on Persephone potentially becoming queen and Cerberus' inexplicable knowledge. "Her manifestation of the primal powers was shocking enough, but she was able to 'talk' to Cerberus. Powerful gods haven't been able to do that and not anyone else linked to the Underworld has been able to do it. And then there's the fact that her form looks so much like mine… We haven’t been able to figure out what it all means, or if it even means anything."

He glanced up at Persephone to see if there was anything she wanted to add just as Hecate, her eyes shining with amused warmth, murmured, "You big, blue dolt..."


	7. Assembling the Pieces

Persephone looked at Hecate in surprise, then at Hades, then back at Hecate.  _ Dolt? If he’s a dolt, I’m a complete idiot because I have no idea what’s going on.  _ "Does that mean you understand it?” she asked Hecate, “I haven't been able to put the pieces together myself.

"I have a hunch," Hecate grinned, her eyes flashing a warm yellow. "But before I tell you what it is, and why I think our noble king is an unobservant dolt-" Hades scowled. "-tell me a little more detail. Persephone, when you 'spoke' with Cerberus, what happened?"

Persephone described how she reached out with her power to probe Cerberus, the vision that had appeared before her, and how Hades had placed his hand over hers on the Guardian's head and saw the vision as well. "I don't know why...I don't know why something like that would be in a dog's mind," she said, shrugging helplessly. "It looked so real."

"Hades, what did you see?"

Hades frowned slightly. "I saw a flash of her vision, but I think maybe that was crossover from our hands touching. But when I reached out to him first... I didn't really see anything so much as feel it. I could feel his attitude toward both of us. Cerberus regards her with the same sense of loyalty he shows me. Above simply being a good dog."

Hecate nodded and smiled. "I think the two of you are too distracted by each other and your new relationship to piece it together. Clear your mind, O noble King, of the who and the particulars and simply consider the facts. If a goddess manifested powers reminiscent of the current ruler of a realm, powers which differed in appearance from what might be expected of her domain, if the Guardian of that realm offered her the same fealty he showed that realm’s King... What would you suppose that meant?"

Hades frowned, turning over the pieces of the puzzle in his mind. "I would think that meant she was... linked..." His eyes went wide in shock. "Oh,  _ Fates _ !"

Hecate's grin widened. "Precisely."

Persephone looked back and forth between them, at Hades’ shocked face and Hecate’s smug expression, waiting for them to elaborate, finally letting out an exasperated, " _ WHAT _ ?! What is happening??"

Hades turned to Persephone, his eyes still wide, a mix of wonder, confusion, and fear in them. "Kore... I think you're linked to this realm. That maybe you always have been. The Fates have certainly woven stranger things..." He swallowed, voice trembling slightly. "I think maybe your primal form looks like mine and Cerberus recognized you as queen because... you're  _ meant _ to be."

Persephone’s eyes went wide and her heart seemed to stop.  _ Meant to be queen? How can I be  _ meant _ to be? We only just talked about it  _ today. Her head seemed to spin with all the changes. It didn’t help that Hades looked as gob-smacked as she felt.

Hecate held up a cautioning hand. "The vision is not necessarily literal. It could simply represent a deep connection between the two of you. I daresay this is already present. However, I am inclined to think the Fates have been plotting weavings for the two of you."

Persephone looked at Hades, dumbfounded. She blinked stupidly for several heartbeats, then looked at Hecate. "Do you know what happened to make the mortals change my name to Persephone?" she blurted. Her hands were clenched in her lap and she was trembling. _ How is this all possible? _

Hecate shook her head. "I don't. Not directly. But I think I can make an educated guess. We can get away with things on a smallish scale without the mortals associating it with us. For something as significant as a name change, it would have to be a major event. Given the events surrounding the change, your arguing with your mother and her refusal to answer questions about the primal powers... I think perhaps an argument became heated and your primal powers flared up without control."

The color drained from Persephone's face. "Do you think I..." she gulped. "Do you think I killed mortals?" she whispered hoarsely.

"It's not a given," Hecate said gently. "It is quite possible that they witnessed the wrath of your powers and found them fearful enough to name you a 'bringer of death'. But..." She shook her head sadly. "I don't think that outcome is likely."

Her breath hitched in her chest and tears prickled in her eyes.  _ I don’t even remember what happened. _

Hecate went on quietly _.  _ "I do not think these signs that you are meant to be queen are linked to the events surrounding your name change, whether mortals died or not. The appearance of your primal form and the magic that links Cerberus to Hades and this realm and apparently to you, would have been in place long ago."

She nodded jerkily, clutching her hands in her lap and breathing deeply to try and calm herself. A tear fell down her cheek and she dashed it away, irritated. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed right now."

"Completely understandable," Hecate said compassionately as Hades reached up and cupped Persephone's cheek tenderly. "Perhaps it might relieve some of your worries to know what I've learned of the machinations of the Fates. We cannot know what they've planned for us without consulting them directly and they never give a straight answer. Fighting against a particular outcome is generally the fastest way to make that outcome happen, and remember that all this might not be completely literal. Relax and enjoy each other and this new relationship. The future will be what it will be and we have quite enough PR concerns in the present."

Persephone looked at Hades, eyes wide, looking for some kind of reassurance. She felt lost. Confused. Scared.  _ It's so much, so fast _ .

He stroked her cheek, worry arcing through him at the fear in her eyes. "Remember, sweetheart. You are still you. This is a lot, but you are still the wonderful person you have always been. Remember that I am right here and I promise you that won't change. I'm here for you in whatever way you need me."

_ Am I  _ really _ still me? I don’t know  _ anything _ about who I am.  _ She took a deep breath, looking for some kind of distraction. "I made baklava for dessert. Would you like some, Hecate?" She smiled and found that she was able to make it mostly genuine.  _ It doesn't  _ have _ to mean anything changes. I’ll think about it later _ .

The older goddess grinned broadly. "I would love some! Your baklava is incredible." She turned a calculating, teasing eye on Hades. "Did you ever manage to have some, your majesty? It would be such a shame if you had missed out."

He rolled his eyes and squeezed his arm around Persephone's waist. "It just so happens I did. Persephone was kind enough to give me a piece even though I was less than gracious and I ate it that night."

Persephone laughed. "I put it in his breast pocket while he was yelling at me about driving his car without a license." She kissed his cheek as she got up and hurried into the kitchen to get the dessert.

"As I  _ said _ ," he called after her, playfully miffed, "I was less than gracious."

He slumped back in his chair as she disappeared into the kitchen and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Hecate, it's been a bizarre twenty-four hours."

"I can imagine," she said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs. "How are you feeling?"

"Dizzy," Hades remarked with a chuckle. "Lost. Confused." He smiled. "Found. Hecate, nothing in my life has ever felt as right as this. Under all this weirdness, being with her feels like a warm, comfortable hug. Like we've always been together and we're only just now putting a name to it."

Hecate crossed her arms and smirked. "Took you long enough. Do you think she's okay?" She looked past Hades’ shoulder to the kitchen entrance. "She's really shaken."

He sighed. "I think she will be. It's been an awful lot to process. If  _ I'm _ feeling confused, I can't imagine how she must feel." A trace of a smile curved his lips. "I think she'd be an incredible queen."

She smiled fondly at her old friend. "So do I." Hecate paused a moment. "You love her, don't you?"

At that moment Persephone bustled back into the room balancing three plates with generous slices of flaky pastry. "Here we go!" she said, putting on an overly bright smile as she set them down on the table with a flourish.

His response died in his throat as Persephone came back into the room, a welter of fears and rationalizing spiraling through his mind.  _ It's too soon! I can't say it out loud! But we've been talking about her being destined to be queen. Where does that fit in the damn rules? I don't want to overwhelm her... _ He shook himself and forced his confused thoughts toward the baklava. He smiled in unfeigned delight. "Sweetheart, this looks delicious!"

Persephone felt absurdly pleased at his praise as she took her seat to Hades's right and picked up her fork. "Thank you," she said, her smile turning soft and genuine. "So, did I miss anything while I was in the kitchen?" She looked at them expectantly.

"Just discussing what a crazy 24 hours it's been and how disgustingly happy I am with you, sweet." He picked up his fork and took a bite as Hecate laughed.

"It's true. I don't think I've ever seen him so content."

Persephone blushed and took a bit of her own baklava, chewing thoughtfully. She remained quiet through the rest of the meal as Hades and Hecate discussed various and sundry matters of the realm. She occasionally gave Hades a reassuring smile when he looked at her but for the most part remained lost in thought.

Hades kept an eye on Persephone's demeanor as he chatted with Hecate. She seemed alright enough, but certainly preoccupied. Hardly surprising.

As they wrapped up and Hecate prepared to leave, she said to Persephone with a warm smile, "There is no pressure or rush. You should take the next steps on Apollo when you're ready. But when you are, please let me know. I can set some things in motion."

Persephone gave Hecate a grateful smile and hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered in her ear. "See you Monday."

Hecate nodded and moved to give Hades a hug. She whispered to him, too low for Persephone to hear, "You two look amazingly happy together. Hurt her and I will come after you." She stepped back with a broad smile and Hades blushed.

"Trust me, I am well aware of that risk."

With a laugh, Hecate bid them both farewell and left.


	8. Vertigo

Persephone watched the door close behind Hecate, then looked at Hades, feeling apprehensive. She wasn't sure what to say; her head was still spinning and she couldn't get her bearings.

Hades watched her carefully. _ She's overwhelmed. I need to get her cozy somewhere so we can decompress. First things first. _ He opened his arms to Persephone inviting her into a hug. "There's a lot, darling, but let's start right here."

She gratefully stepped into his embrace, inhaling his scent. She felt some of the overwhelmed feeling drop away as he wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into him with a sigh.

Hades kissed the top of her head, letting out a happy hum to have her wrapped in his arms again. The frantic feeling abated as he basked in the warm reality of her.  _ No matter what, we can get through any of this. As long as we have each other. _

Aloud, he murmured, "I'd like for us to go get comfortable. Couch, bed, naked, or pajamas or anything else. Whatever you need to feel cozy. We can talk if you wish, or simply hold each other. Whatever you need."

"Bed, please," she said, voice muffled in his chest. "Naked." She clung to him, trying to still her mind.

"I thought you might say that," he chuckled as he bent and lifted her with one arm under her knees and the other wrapped around her back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, much like she did the day he rescued her in Tartarus. The day she realized that he smelled like a forest fire in winter. She breathed in his scent again and her pounding heart slowed down a bit.

"I remember the first night I carried you through this house," he whispered as he walked towards the bedroom. "You felt so small and I was so careful not to jostle you too much."

She smiled. "I hardly remember it at all," she murmured. "I remember you taking my shoes off so I wouldn't get blisters. And I remember you promising not to tell my mom how drunk I got." She chuckled softly. "You were a good friend to me that night."

"I liked looking after you. Probably my latent tendencies that became this need to cuddle." He set her gently on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her. Hades watched her face carefully as he reached around her to unzip her dress. "I'm proud of you, sweetheart."

She tilted her head curiously. "Proud of me? Why?" She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders as he unzipped her.

"You've met remarkable challenges with grace and poise. You’ve had a lot of intense stuff thrown at you in a very short time. I'm proud of how you're handling things." The dress fell loose around her shoulders and he encouraged her to stand up.

"I don't feel like I'm handling it very well," she sighed, shrugging the dress off her shoulders. "My brain is running a mile a minute and I can't catch a single thought to try and sort it out." She scrubbed her hands over her face. "It's making me tired."

"This is why we're doing what we are doing right now." He tenderly stripped off her under-things until she stood naked before him. Hades curved his hands over her hips and looked up at her, gentle, warm affection in his eyes. "We both need a chance to sit and breath and I can't think of a better way to do it."

She nodded, her small fingers reaching for the buttons of his shirt. "Maybe it will help me talk about it," she murmured as she plucked his buttons open.

"That's what I'm hoping." He unfastened his cuffs and shrugged out of his shirt once the buttons were undone. Standing, he unfastened his trousers, skimming them down along with his boxers. Naked finally, he pulled back the blankets and gestured to the bed with a smile. "After you, my dear."

Persephone climbed into the bed and snuggled into the pillows with a sigh, waiting for Hades to join her. She admired his naked form, so tall and strong; she couldn't help smiling as she looked at him.

He slid into the bed with a grin at her open appreciation and positioned himself to curl around her, one arm propped under his pillow. Hades reached up and combed his fingers into her hair, murmuring, "Hello."

"Hi," she whispered back. "How are you?" Her fingers idly traced one of the scars on his chest as she tried to relax.

"I am in bed with my beautiful lover and she has her hands on me. Sweetness, I am quite well." His fingers traced over the curves of her face, mapping down to the lines of her throat.

She smiled and sighed at his gentle touch. "You know what I mean, Hades." She looked earnestly into his face. "Do you think Hecate might be right? Do you-" she swallowed hard. "Do you think I'm really linked to the Underworld?"

"It's difficult to argue with what we've seen, Kore," he whispered. "I do think that you are in some way." He paused and bit his lip. "How do you feel about that?"

"It's a shock," she said hesitantly. "But not a bad one. I don't feel like 'Oh, Fates, I don't want this'. It's more like, 'What does this mean for my future and my powers..." She looked down. "And for us." She ended on a whisper.

"For us," he murmured as he gently cupped her cheek to raise her gaze back to his, "I would care about you the same regardless. As I've said, you are still you. In here-" he tapped her temple gently, "-and in here-" he laid his hand over her heart. "I am astonished by your capability and I am deeply proud of your accomplishments. But who I care about is what's underneath."

"That's not what I mean, Hades," she said, a little frustrated. "And I'm not the same. I have this whole other...thing...that I never knew about that connects me to an entire different realm, and apparently means I'm fated to be the Queen of the Underworld which ostensibly means I'm fated to be married to you but we've only been together for two months and how am I supposed to process that?" She rolled away from him onto her back, throwing her arm over her eyes. "All of a sudden it's not me choosing my future.The decision lies with someone else. Again."

"I'm sorry I misunderstood," he said quietly. "I know that this lack of agency bothers you and I never wanted that for us." He paused before going on with a trace of hurt in his tone. "You did say earlier today that I could ask you again in the future with a promise you'd say yes. That was your choice. Does the appeal of being my queen change so much knowing that there is an outside influence?"

She turned her head and looked at him with a piercing gaze. "If I was fated to say it, was it ever really my choice at all?" she asked coldly. She leveraged herself out of bed and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Persephone leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, drawing her legs up and resting her head on her knees. It wasn't long before the tears started to flow and within moments she was sobbing.

Hades bolted upright in surprise as she stalked out of bed, staring in shock as the bathroom door slammed. Hurt curled through his chest and he slumped back against the headboard with a huff. It was difficult not to feel rejection like a sharp blade.  _ Figures. A woman finally actually  _ wants  _ to marry me, but balks when it turns out the Fates were sticking their fingers in the pie. _

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat, elbows braced on his knees, head hanging.  _ Does she even still want to marry me at all _ ?

Her words filtered back through the dark thundercloud of his mood.  _ She doesn’t know how to process this. I don’t either. This has all been more than bizarre and I’m not even the one losing control of things. _ He stopped at the errant thought, then let out a groan and flopped back down on the bed.  _ Nice going, idiot. Of course it's all tied together. Excellent job just focusing on what this means for you… She’s had things forced on her for her entire life. Now  _ none _ of this is choice. _ He startled upright at the sound of her deep sobs, clearly audible even through the door. Hades climbed out of bed, the instinctive need to comfort her welling up. He hesitated, unsure if she'd want to see him, but firmed his resolve.  _ Worst case scenario, she turns me away. I'm not just going to sit there while she's crying. _

Padding to the closed door, he knocked quietly. “Kore? May I come in?” 

She didn’t answer.  _ I don’t know if I want to talk to him right now. _

Hades rested his head against the door and sighed. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I just… I’m sorry.”

She quieted for a moment.  _ He’s so good to me. I feel like such a jerk for getting mad at him. This is hard for him, too. _ Her sobs burst forth anew as another wave of emotion washed over her. 

He tried the knob and, finding it unlocked, pushed the door open cautiously, prepared to be told to stuff it. When he saw Persephone curled into a ball of misery, his heart lurched and he padded over to her, sinking down next to her on the floor. "Oh, sweetheart." Hades gathered her carefully into his lap, allowing her time to move away, but unable to simply sit next to her when she was clearly so miserable.

Persephone curled against him and sobbed helpless against his chest.  _ I’m so confused. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I want. Why does everything have to be so hard? _

Hades held her close, rocking slowly as he stroked her back and hummed soothingly. Long moments stretched on as she cried out her stress and frustration until she slumped, spent, against his chest.

He pressed a kiss into her hair. “I’m sorry, sweetness.”

"I know," she said tiredly, voice muffled through the remnants of tears. "Knowing that helps a lot. I just...I need some time to process. Let's have breakfast tomorrow, and then I need to go home and have some time to myself." She cuddled into him. "I don't think I could bear being alone tonight though."

"Then you shan't be alone." He kissed her temple tenderly. "What would you say to a quick shower to clear our heads a bit and then we go back to bed?"

She nodded. "That sounds good," she murmured. She sighed and nuzzled his chest. "My head hurts."

"I thought it might." Hades carefully stood up, holding her against his chest and walked over to the shower. "I'll be sure to get you some pain relief as well."

"Thank you," she mumbled. "Hades, will you kiss me, please?"

He reached into the shower and twisted the knobs to let the water warm up and then kissed her tenderly, a warm, loving caress.

Persephone placed her small hands on his chest and savored the gentle pressure of his lips.  _ I love you. I do. _ She pulled back and smiled at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetness," he whispered with a smile. "I am always happy to oblige a wish for kisses." He reached in and tested the water, finding it satisfactory. "Are you ready?"

She nodded. "I'm more than ready," she said ruefully as she stepped into the shower.

She slowly worked her way under the hot stream of water, letting it wash over her swollen face.  _ This feels good. _ She tried to empty her mind and just focus on the feeling of the hot water running over her skin.

Hades stepped up behind Persephone, wrapping her into a gentle embrace and ducking his face into the water to kiss the top of her head. _ I love you.. _ .

She leaned into him and sighed contentedly. "Would you mind washing my hair?" she asked hopefully.

"I'd be delighted to." Hades picked up the bottle of her shampoo and gently lathered her hair, massaging her scalp.

Persephone closed her eyes and sighed in bliss, savoring the feeling of his strong fingers moving over her scalp. "That feels so good," she murmured, leaning back into him.

"Feels good on this end, too. I like touching you."

She smiled and let herself drift in the soothing sensation.  _ Does it really matter whether the Fates are involved with this? It's not like you were resistant to the idea of marrying him and being queen before. Of course, that was before the link to the Underworld came into play. There's no way of knowing what that means. No one will be able to tell me. _ She blinked, a thought suddenly coming to her.  _ Except the Fates themselves _ ...


	9. Homeostasis

Hades finished washing through her hair and carefully rinsed. He wrapped his arms around her once more and held her under the warm water.

She leaned against him gratefully, comforted by his enveloping embrace. After a few moments she murmured, "We should probably finish washing..."

"Probably. Though I hope you won't begrudge if I use washing as an excuse to hold you longer." He picked up her soap and a loofah and began to lather her body in soft strokes.

"You spoil me," she said with a smile. _Who would have thought I'd ever end up standing in a shower while a king washes me. Life could be worse._

"Is this a problem?" He smiled as he breathed a content sigh into her hair. "I can stop, but quite honestly, I'd rather not."

She laughed softly. "No, I like it. Spoil me all you like." _You're happy with him. You were happy with him before you learned what you learned tonight. Does it really matter that it was fated to happen regardless?_ She took a deep breath. _You're even more powerful than you originally thought. He helped you discover that. And as his queen...you'll be ruler of a realm. You'll be dispensing fair judgements at his side._

"Free rein to pamper," he chuckled. "I like it." He bent down and nuzzled the side of her neck. "I wasn't kidding when I said you spoiled me as well. I feel unbelievably privileged to be with you. So in a way, I'm simply displaying and repaying my ardent appreciation."

She tilted her head to expose her neck to him, then reached for his washcloth and soap. She worked up a rich lather and turned to him, gently rubbing it over his body. "Allow me to return the favor, Your Majesty," she smiled mischievously.

"By all means. But sweetheart, please, tonight just Hades. I'd like to let everything of realms and rulerships and fate and everything else that insists on being a confused muddle just fall away for tonight and just be. Tonight I'm not king. There's nothing more than just here and now. You and me."

"Can I ask you one question before we table it?" she asked quietly as she handed him his shampoo. "Just a yes or no."

"Of course."

"Do you like being king?"

He thought for a moment. "Yes, with a qualifier. There are times that I desperately want to be quit of the whole thing, when the demands of everything is just too much. I expect though, that is the case with most any stressful position. Overall, I rather enjoy it."

She nodded slowly as she turned this over in her mind. _Maybe it would be easier if he had a queen to help him. I would be good at that, I think._ She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweet." With a boyish smile, he knelt down in the shower and handed her back the shampoo. "Would you, please?"

"Of course I will." Her smile broadened as he wrapped his arms around her hips and laid his cheek against her belly. She massaged the shampoo into his blue-white hair and scrubbed gently but thoroughly, stroking downward to massage his neck as well.

Hades groaned quietly and let out a deep sigh. "That feels absolutely amazing." _This... This right here, right now is what bliss feels like. No concerns or worries about what will or won't be. Just the two of us. This is all I could ever need._ He turned his head and nuzzled against the soft curve of her belly, his lips pressing against the wet skin.

_I love you..._

Persephone looked down at Hades affectionately as he made quiet noises of pleasure and content. _I think I would like an eternity of this kind of intimacy. It feels so comfortable and good and right_. She finished his shampoo with a few long strokes. "Okay, darling, you're ready to rinse."

With one last squeeze of his arms around her, Hades moved away and carefully stood, shifting under the water to rinse off. As he relaxed under the spray, he became aware of the heat pooling slowly in his groin and the small twitches of his cock as it filled slowly. _Inevitably, really. Ambient stress levels aside, you've been naked in her presence for how long now? If she's not up for anything, I've got no problem ignoring it_. He glanced at Persephone to gauge if she'd noticed, debating whether to bring it up.

She leaned casually against the wall of the shower, watching him with an amused expression. _The king rouses_. She arched an eyebrow at him and said, "Let's at least wait until we're dry and in bed, yeah?"

He blushed a bright blue and finished rinsing before turning off the water. "I didn't want to make any assumptions about what might happen." He reached out of the shower and grabbed fluffy towels from the rack, swathing one around her.

She took the towel from him and dried herself carefully. "I appreciate that," she grinned. "I think a little love making would be nice." She dried her hair and hung her towel up, waiting for Hades.

He gave her a mischievous grin as he dried quickly. "I like to think that in addition to being hopelessly randy, I'm also a considerate sort." He stepped out of the shower and turned to offer her his hand with a smile. “Did you still need to take something for your head?”

Persephone nodded. “Please, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.” After he helped her out, he turned and retrieved some pain meds from the cabinet and a glass of water from the sink, holding them out to her.

She took them and swallowed the pills down obediently. “Thank you darling,” she smiled.

He winked at her and murmured as he took the glass back and set it on the vanity, “You’re welcome.”

Persephone slipped her small pink hand into his large blue one and let him draw her back out into the bedroom.

Out in the bedroom, he drew her to the bed and paused next to it. Hades ran his hands up and down her back, feathering light touches onto the curve of her bottom, bending to press equally light kisses along her neck. "How would you like me, sweetheart? What do you need?"

"I need you on top of me," she breathed. "Slow and gentle and loving." She closed her eyes with a sigh as his lips caressed her neck. "I just need to feel close to you." 

"Then that's what you shall have," he murmured, easing her onto the bed, her head cradled on the pillows. Hades settled over her, kissing along her neck and collarbone as he drew her knees up over his hips.

Persephone lay back, looking at him with soft eyes, filled with love. _I can't say it yet. But I feel it._ "I just need to feel close to you," she whispered. _I need to know you love me, too._

"I don't want to think. I just want to feel." She reached up and ran her fingers through his damp hair.

"Then just feel, sweet. I just want to feel close to you as well." He reached between them and cupped one hand gently over her core, stroking his long fingers into her folds. He feathered careful touches over her sensitive flesh, searching out all the ways he knew to help her feel best, trying to show her with the caress of his hand and of his lips at her throat how very much he adored her.

She arched against him with a soft moan as he probed her intimate places. She felt herself get wet almost immediately, her body eloquently expressing her desire for him.

Hades moaned quietly as he felt her wetness increase, his fingertips sliding more easily over her. His thumb circled her clit, rolling gently over the little pearl, as he slipped two fingers into her. He probed for the sensitive patch of flesh inside, knowing no better way to give her sheer feeling on which to focus. He raised his head to look down at her, his eyes heavy-lidded and full of love and affection. "You are beautiful," he whispered.

She cried out softly as he found the sweet spot in her core, thrusting her hips upward to meet his touch. The pressure grew inside quickly and it wasn't long before she rippled around him in climax.

Hades eagerly watched her come undone, his fingers stroking and his cock throbbing in time with her spasms. He felt absurdly pleased to be able to give her this, simple ecstasy after the stress of the day. _I love you, sweetness. I love you so much..._ He leaned down and kissed her, catching her gasps and cries of pleasure.

Persephone pressed her lips against his desperately as she trembled in bliss. "I need you," she gasped as they broke apart. "Please."

Hades lifted up and used his fingers still inside her to position himself at her entrance. He slipped in smoothly as his fingers withdrew, ensuring she was never left empty. Cradling one hand around the back over her neck, he whispered with a soft smile as he pressed deeply into her, "Slow and gentle and loving, sweetness."

She let out a deep groan as he filled her, eyes fluttering shut as she adjusted to his presence inside her. At last she opened her eyes and looked at Hades, eyes glowing with emotion, and drew him down to kiss him deeply.

He went willingly, returning every ardent caress of her lips with interest. He began moving in her with slow, luxurious strokes, trying to express the inexpressible. Both the as yet unspoken words of love and the well of feeling so deep it defied being compacted into mere words, swirled just beneath the surface. _Can you tell how much I love you, sweetheart?_

Persephone clung to him, moved with him, lost herself in him. She whispered sweet words of affection in his ear as he filled her again and again. Her small hands caressed his back and neck and stroked his hair as she took the pleasure he gave her.

Hades closed his eyes, letting her whispered endearments wash over him like a warm tide. The sweet pleasure of her body's clasp filled his senses, her touch, the sound of her quiet gasps. The tender, warm connection with her was sublime. He lifted his head and whispered to her, "Will you come for me again and again, sweetheart? Allow me to give you as much pleasure as you can stand?"

"Yes," she breathed. She could feel her warm breath against his neck and she nipped the tender skin gently. "Make me come for you, darling."

Hades deepened his thrusts, hilting inside her on each slow, languid motion, pressing the base of his shaft against her clit each time he slid home.

Persephone rolled with his thrusts, stoking her arousal higher and higher. The sensation pooled in her belly, coalesced, then burst, and she came with a cry. She arched as her sheath clasped and twitched around him.

Hades groaned in satisfaction as he felt her spasm, the contractions pulling his own arousal higher. He watched her avidly, drinking in every sight and sound of her pleasure, relishing that he was able to give it to her.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him adoringly. "You make me feel so good," she whispered. "Hades, will you sit up and hold me on your lap?"

"I'd be delighted, dearheart. Anything you want." He eased out of her with a quiet groan and sat back against the headboard, holding out his hand to help her up and onto his lap.

Persephone nudged his legs, encouraging him to sit cross-legged, then straddled his lap and took him inside her again. She wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him sweetly. "I wanted to be belly-to-belly with you," she whispered.

"I approve that wish," he murmured hoarsely, wrapping her into his arms. He closed his eyes and sighed happily. "I like this."

She kissed him again, then began to rock, moving against him slowly with a sigh. _I love you_. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "Fates, you feel so good." she whispered.

"Best you've ever had, right?" He teased her quietly. Without the leverage to move much, Hades touched her everywhere instead, strong fingers sliding deft along her spine and tracing her curves as she shifted.

"The very best," she smiled, kissing along his jaw. She rolled against him in a slow rhythm and the coil of her arousal drew tighter and tighter and she burst around him again with a soft cry, shuddering in his arms.

Hades cried out with her, as much for the depth of emotion swirling in him as for the pleasure provoked by her spasms. He clutched her close, wanting to make the moment last, knowing it was impossible.

"Come with me on the next one," she gasped. She rocked a little more firmly against him and worked herself up to the edge again. "Hades, love, I'm gonna come..."

 _Love_... The endearment sent a sharp, sweet pang through him and Hades moaned quietly. "Yes. Oh, yes." He cupped her face and kissed her needily, a breath away from climax. The searing need hovered, quivering, needing only her release to send him over.

As soon as he spoke she tipped over the edge and came around him with a cry. She spasmed and trembled and gasped as she clung to Hades.

He bucked against her with a groan, his release bursting forth as her contractions milked him. Delirious pleasure sparked through his veins and Hades panted raggedly as he kissed her hungrily, unable to get enough of her.

She lapped up his kisses eagerly, gasping against his lips as she seized around him. She buried her fingers in his hair and squeezed her legs around him tightly.

As the spasms eased into twitches and aftershocks, Hades rested his forehead against hers, his breath rough and ragged, his pulse throbbing. He gazed into her beautiful pink eyes and knew himself for hopelessly lost. He swallowed roughly. "Kore..." He faltered and shook his head. There were truly no words. Even the ones he yearned to say paled beside the reality of how he felt. Hades gently tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. "I think that can still hold up against primal sex."

She smiled blissfully. "I think you're right," she murmured softly. "We should do it like this as often as possible. I feel so close to you." She kissed him sweetly, gently massaging his neck. "I like feeling close to you." She was calm now, content. Her worries had fled, at least for a time, and she was happy to just enjoy this moment.

"Well," he chuckled, teasing, "We are about as close as we can get right now." He arched his neck, purring quietly as she massaged. "I agree, though. This seems so incredibly intimate. Like all that matters is this skin on skin and feeling each other's breath."

She nodded, kissing down his neck. "Hades," she whispered. "I-" She stopped herself. _Too soon_. "You are so important to me."

"I feel the same, sweetness. You matter to me so very much." The words burned in his mind, but he chose the circumspect route. "The time we've been together, even when we were just friends, has been the best of my life."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "It's...been a hard day." She paused and made a face. "Well, not hard. Weird. It's been a weird day."

"That it has." He kissed her shoulder. "I’m sorry I got snippy with you.."

"You understand why I was frustrated, right?" _I hope he does, because if he doesn't this is opening a can of worms._

"You've had things chosen for you for a long time," he murmured, "Demeter forcing her choices on you, the TGOEM scholarship. Even Apollo was a choice taken away. Now the hand of the Fates shows up here. I don't blame you for being upset, sweetness."

She nodded, burying her face in his neck. "Thank you." She squeezed him tightly. "I like sitting like this with you. Are your legs okay?"

"They're just fine. I wouldn't want to sleep like this, but we are okay for right now." He massaged her back slowly. "I feel very protective like this. Like I'm keeping you safe."

"You have always made me feel safe, from the very first time we met." She kissed him where his neck and shoulder met. "It's one of the things I liked about you from the beginning."

Hades lifted his chin a bit to give her room, and smiled. "What else did you like about me from the beginning?"

"You respected me. You respected my opinions, and my preferences, and my personal space. You were the first person to really treat me like an adult." She paused. "And I really liked your hair. And your dimples."

"Yet now you call me 'malefactor'. And 'captor'..." He sighed forlornly. "How things have changed.”

She laughed. "What did you like about me from the beginning?" she asked, pulling back to look at him curiously.

"You had a different demeanor about you at the party when I first saw you. I don't mean just the melancholy. You held yourself differently than anyone else there. I didn't know much about you growing up in the mortal realm, but at the time... Perhaps it's foolish, but I felt as though we were both outsiders on Olympus and perhaps we could have a connection. That, and I thought you were smoking hot. When we were talking the next morning, I liked the warmth you brought to this house, your laughter and teasing. I liked that you weren't afraid of me and gave back as good as you got. I liked your smile when you gave me that sideways look and called me a scoundrel." He combed his fingers into her hair. "You were the first in a very long time to treat me like me and not as a king or wallet."

She looked at him earnestly. "You are a scoundrel. And I am not afraid of you." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, even as her eyes shone with affection. "But tell me, Hades. Did you like my butt?"

"Sweetness, your ass had me captivated." He laid his hands over her butt and squeezed gently. "This heart shaped ass... There were many times I had to physically stop myself from reaching out to grab it."

She blushed prettily. "Before we were together?! Hades, you _are_ a scoundrel. Good gracious." She grinned and kissed him.

"I am," he agreed solemnly, his eyes twinkling. "Speaking of which, where does my scoundrel rating stand these days? I'd like to think it's rather low, but perhaps revelation of butt-grabbing thoughts, and tying you up last night has raised my percentage."

"You're holding steady at 35%, but only because you apologized and then washed my hair," she replied solemnly.

"I understand." He nodded. "I must have edged up rather high to have dropped down to 35. I did an excellent job with the hair washing."

"You really did. And I liked the way you kissed my belly," she nodded. "Your scoundrel percentage continues to drop."

He ducked his head down and nuzzled her ear. "Will you still find me appealing if I reach 0%?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I rather like it when you're scoundrel-y. I wouldn't risk it."

"I shall just have to see what I can do to keep the percentage up a bit. Call it scoundrel homeostasis."

She grinned. "Yes, we must maintain homeostasis." She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "This has been lovely."

“It has indeed." He kissed along her cheek. "It continues to be as well. I expect that any time I have you astride my lap will be inherently lovely."

"It does seem like being in this position is indicative of a good time," she grinned in response. "I feel like I could stay like this forever." She started yawning before she even finish speaking. "But I suppose that's not reasonable."

"Not terribly, no. However, we shall just have to indulge as often as possible. Are you ready to go to sleep?"

She nodded, yawning again. "I'm ready."

He helped her off of his lap and eased them both down into the bed, drawing the blankets up. Persephone snuggled against his chest with a sigh. 

"Goodnight, Hades," she murmured, eyelids drooping.

He embraced her close and kissed her forehead. "Good night, sweet."

_My love._


End file.
